BACKGROUND: Platform of new Palestinian unity government

Ramallah - The programme of the Palestinian unity government announced Thursday has been eagerly awaited. Western leaders have said they will decide whether to establish ties with the new government only after studying its platform. Below follow the most important points in the eight-section programme, put in context: - Section I, clause 2 expresses 'respect' for passed interim peace deals signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel. The clause refers mainly to the 1993 Oslo accords, which call for a two-state solution and which the Islamic militant Hamas movement has consistently and violently opposed. The phrase 'respect' falls short of 'accept' and is a compromise reached under the February 8 Mecca agreement between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' pro-Oslo opposition Fatah party and the ruling Hamas - the two leading factions in the new unity government. Hardliners within Hamas had opposed also that compromise. They were concerned the phrase in a sense meant indirect recognition of Israel, because it is a signatory to these past agreements. But Israel said Thursday the clause far from recognized its right to exist, either explicitly or implicitly. The key clause reads: 'The Government will be committed to protect the higher national interests of the Palestinian people and their rights, to preserve their gains and act to achieve their national goals as agreed by the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the Basic Law, the Document of National Conciliation and the Arab League Summit resolution. 'Based on that, the Government will respect legal international resolutions and agreements signed by the PLO.' - Section I, clause 4, says the government 'holds on to the right of refugees to return to their land and property.' The phrase leaves out whether that should be to all of British mandatory Palestine, including what is now Israel, or to a future Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza only. Israel vehemently opposes a return of Palestinian refugees and their offspring to its own territory. It argues that since their number has grown from some 900,000 after the 1948 war to more than 4 million, absorbing the refugees among its own population would essentially mean the creation of a Palestinian state in Israel alongside a future one in the West Bank and Gaza. - Section II, clause 2, stresses that 'resistance is a legitimate right of the Palestinian people.' It goes on to say that 'an end to resistance depends on an end to the Occupation and achieving freedom, return [of refugees] and independence.' - Section II, clause 3 says the government will work to expand a truce valid in the Gaza Strip since November 26, in return for several commitments by Israel. These include that it stop arrest raids in the West Bank, ease restrictions on movement, free Palestinian militants from its prisons and suspend salvage excavations outside Jerusalem's disputed Temple Mount/Harem al-Sharif compound. - Section II, clause 4 stipulates that negotiations will be the responsibility of the PLO and Abbas. Any agreement, it says, will be presented to the new PNC for approval or for a referendum. Based in Tunis, the PNC is the PLO parliament in exile and seen as representing Palestinians in the Palestinian autonomous areas as well as those living in the Diaspora. Under the Mecca agreement, the Fatah-dominated PLO and its institutions are to be reformed to include also Hamas and the smaller, radical Islamic Jihad faction. Both had thus far boycotted the body due to their opposition to the Oslo agreements it signed. Abbas has expressed hope that this solution would allow an opening for a revival of peace negotiations between him and Israel, bypassing the government. But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he sees no point in negotiations with a weak president who he believes lacks majority backing on an agreement likely to be blocked by Hamas. Olmert has said he wants his ongoing bilateral contacts with Abbas to focus on improving Palestinian living conditions. Analysts therefore doubt the new government - which stops short of meeting the three international demands for recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and accepting passed agreements - will receive full world backing or enable a revival of peace talks. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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Anne Selden AnnabMar 15th, 2007 - 16:17:01

Of course Israel objects to the Palestinian Refugees Right of Return- Israel also objects to Palestinians having full and equal rights and freedoms here, there and everywhere!

Stop putting off the inevitable- do we really want a world where bigotry reigns supreme and religion is armed to terrorize and build concrete walls of hate where ever it can ! The misnamed 'Jewish State' has made a huge mess of the Holy Land for generations by systematically targeting, displacing, impoverishing, vilifying and torturing Palestinians in every way it can.

Israel, racist Israel- a generously subsidized world wide war on the people of Palestine has literally gotten away with murder for decades. Israel as is has been both a social and an economic crime. Enough with maintaining a totally toxic status quo and a very sick situation: Israel- it is time to pay the piper.... time for true return for the Palestinians and an end to the largest and longest running refugee crisis in the world today- not more forced transfer. TRUE RETURN to original homes and lands as clearly spelled out by international law for ALL of modern man made Israel's existence!

It is time for real justice for historic Palestine. Time to invest in fair and just laws and expectations- including the expectation that all children should be cherished and nurtured and given every opportunity to thrive so that they can disclose and discover their own innate gifts and talents so that they may grow up to become productive citizens of the world no matter where they might be.

It is time to start the process of investing in hope and creating a chance for peace all through out the Middle East and beyond.... It is time to take the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948 seriously.... It is time to FULLY respect the Palestinian Refugees inalienable legal and moral Right to Return ASAP.

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LRRP U.S.ARMYMar 18th, 2007 - 19:16:37

Stop fireing rockets into Israel and mabey they will sit down and talk peace,but we both know that will not happen?????

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BACKGROUND: Platform of new Palestinian unity government

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